Help us fight the Toxic Lobby

This year will prove crucial for two important EU initiatives: a new law to reduce the use of pesticides(SUR) and better rules to stop chemical pollution (REACH revision). Both are under pressure from powerful chemical lobby’s and their political allies. 

Please support CEO now in its work to ensure these new rules actually make it. As you may remember, we are on a mission to increase our basis of people supporting us with a monthly donation. However small, it’s always welcome. The number of people supporting us one-off or on a regular basis has started to increase already - which makes us really happy!

Since the war in Ukraine started, a crucial part of the European Commission’s Farm2Fork proposal - its pesticide reduction target of 50% less use by 2030 -e has been  under an intensifying and fierce attack by the pesticide industry and by agriculture ministers and centre-right members in the European Parliament. They keep repeating the same message: without pesticides we all will go hungry.  But scientists say this is nonsense.

CEO has contributed to new analysis which revealing that these lobbyists  are using  misleading and scientifically unsubstantiated claims which are preventing a factual, solution-oriented political debate. This serves the interests of the pesticide industry andnot the needs of society, biodiversity, nor farmers. It is detrimental to health and biodiversity and puts the future of food production in danger.

If you know CEO, you’ll know that we don’t just produce reports, we also take action!  Just this week we joined the activists from the collective "No future for agrobusiness" to protest and carry out disruptive actions against the annual Forum for the Future of Agriculture (FFA), organised by Chinese owned agrochemical giant Syngenta and ELO - the European landowners' lobby - and in collaboration with many other agribusiness multinationals such as Pepsico, Nestlé and John Deere. The meeting was joined by top EU politicians. 

 We have investigated lobbying by the chemical industry in the EU for over two decades, and we’ve uncovered severe negligence on the part of the EU institutions and European politicians.

 Recently we published a deep dive into the German company BASF, the biggest chemical producer in the world. BASF is a political powerhouse and has used its influence to push back against much needed chemicals regulation in the EU. o It’s wonder, is it?  When its products include ‘forever’ chemicals and hazardous pesticides. We uncovered the company's influencing tactics, as well as its scandals, from a massive carbon footprint to 'Cancer Alley'.

Flaws in the current EU legislation have allowed for chemical scandals to happen. The rapid decline in pollinators and other species is being called insectageddon and is linked to massive pesticide use. And recently investigative journalists from all over Europe have recently uncovered the scale of forever chemical PFAS pollution with almost 20.000 polluted hotspots in the EU. 

Recently CEO’s Nina Holland featured in the German documentary film about this incredible issue:  "Toxic. Indestructible: Thilo Mischke on the trail of deadly chemicals." You can see it here.  

If this kind of scandal reminds us of one thing it’s this: the work we do at CEO is more relevant and more vital than ever.

We know these are tough times, but if you can afford it, please consider making a donation to support our work. Perhaps even a monthly one, if you can afford to. However small, it’s always welcome.

Lastly, thank you!!! Your help is crucial for us to continue to do our work, and to keep fighting to shine a light on toxic lobbying.

Belén, Bram, Hans, Joana, Kat, Karin, Kees, Kenneth, Lucy, Nina, Olivier, Pascoe, and Vicky